This Moderncat Spotlight focuses on a very special organization in central Ohio in celebration of their brand new cat adoption center. Colony Cats is an all-volunteer, non-profit organization whose primary mission is to address cat overpopulation in central Ohio through public awareness and spay/neuter efforts. Since 2002, the organization has facilitated spay or neuter of over 6,324 animals. They also have a network of foster homes for friendly, adoptable cats and kittens that have been rescued (as well as dogs and puppies that are encountered while assisting cats).

Just last week, Colony Cats opened an innovative, contemporary cat adoption center in Columbus, Ohio. This adoption center is very unique! Instead of being in a free-standing building, the center is conveniently located in a storefront at a busy shopping center — what a great way to introduce the cats to potential adopters! The design of the facility is also quite special. Cats and kittens are not in cages, but rather in one of five open “living rooms” that provide open views and plenty of space for the cats to mingle with visitors. Potential adopters can visit the cats in the living rooms or take them into a private adoption room. The center offers a library with educational materials to help adopters fully understand cats and cat behavior, ideally reducing the risk of returns.

Fine art and photographs featuring cats adorn the walls at the center. The works are by local artists, who are donating 30 percent of the proceeds to the center for any piece sold. There is also a giving tree where people can add a leaf for each donation made. This handsome black kitty seems to enjoy the top of the giving tree.

The interior design work on the new center was donated by John Wilson of CRI Interiors, Inc. What an amazing job! The Colony Cats adoption center is located at 2740 Festival Lane on the south side of Highway 161, east of Sawmill. If you’re ever in Columbus, please stop by and take a look!

Fundraising Giveaway: Enter to win a set of Curve perches from Urban Pet Haus!

In conjunction with the grand opening of the new Colony Cats adoption center, we have another great fundraiser giveaway for you! The folks at Urban Pet Haus have generously donated a set of their brand new Curve perches for the giveaway! The set includes one large and one small perch. As you can see above, the Curve perches are quite popular with the kitties at the adoption center and I can tell you, we have some at my house, they are wonderful. The perfect size and shape! Your cats will love these and so will you.

To enter the drawing, please visit the Colony Cats fundraising page on GiveForward and make a donation of any amount and you’ll be entered to win. The winner will be chosen in a random drawing on December 1 and notified via GiveForward. Let’s try to reach the goal of raising $1000 for this awesome organization and their new facility!

While I regrettably can’t donate at this time (and feel terrible about that), I had to comment about these wonderful photos, the amazing service, and the CLASSY companies who’ve donated to help make the cats comfortable in their waystation. KUDOS to all, and of course, to you, too, Kate, for sharing this wonderful post with us!

When finding homes for homeless animals its so important to know how to market them to the public. I have been trying to get our local petco store to make a storefront window so rescue groups can show off their adorable cats and kittens to people walking by the store instead of just showing them in cages which is so unappealing. I tried to convince them also it would attract more people and bring in more customers. It’s so entertaining to watch them play together or just walking around being cats. There is a store in Texas called Cat Connection that has an amazing set up with rescued cats in the front window area. They have colored ramps, steps, and great trees and condos. I think they got their ideas from The Cats House book. You can see photos of it on their website.

That is such an awesome facility ! Beautiful.
Kudos to the people who run it !
I wish we had something like that in NYC,but it would be so overwhelmed.
We have something called Colony By The Water.They live in little heated houses under the Throgs Neck Bridge.
They just started adverting for adoptions.
They make crafts and sell them to fund raise too.

Such a beautiful, inviting way to care for adoptees. Those are lucky (and happy-looking!) cats to have a caring community behind them, and I agree with jmuhj — a great deal of class shown by pet product companies.

I would love to see this become a model for adoption centers, which are, so often, heartbreaking places. I suspect that the open design and visibility of Colony Cats also draws many more volunteers (and donors) than a traditional setting. We donate first to our tiny, local group, but we send Colony Cats warm wishes for the time being.

What a super place for adoption for the cats. Those cats are so lucky to be seen by everyone that walks past the store. I did make a small donation. And how wonderful all those companies that donated the great stuff for the cats.

The idea of pets in the window has a certain stigma to many. I would imagine some major company’s would fall into the safety mode of not wanting to appear like they are selling pets.
That’s a good idea Stephanie. If we could get more people to realize how beneficial that could be to our four pawed homeless population I think that would be wonderful! You should take that idea and run with it!

What a wonderful looking place! I love that all the cats are able to be in “living rooms” rather than cages! I hope this new adoption center setup will influence more organizations to try this. They did a wonderful job and I’m very thankful for all the great companies that donated their products and time

Such a beautiful facility! A far cry from the county shelter where I found Joule. The companies generous enough to donate have gone of my list of places to buy. A company that donates is a company I like.
A special thanks to Urban Pet Haus for the giveaway. I’d love to win it and that’s a great way to overcome people’s inertia and get them to donate.
As for kitties in the windows, I think its a great idea. So long as the rooms don’t get too hot or too cold and the kitties (as Cat Colony does) have a nice quiet place to nap when they are tired of watching Cat TV. It helps with adoption and the view gives the kitties some stimulation.

Thanks Moderncat for highlighting such great places to find a rescue kitty.

I think it would not only help find homes for more cats but it would be beneficial for them also since being in a cage can have a negative effect on the way they act at adoptions. This way they will be free to run around, play and show themselves off to everyone.

Amazing business model! Let’s hope other organizations copy ColonyCats’ idea of locating in a high-traffic shopping center, not to mention their amazing decor and cat “living rooms”. Superb concepts! And thanks to ModernCat for hosting a fundraiser like this. Another superb idea! More cat blogs/webzines should follow your example.

What a beautiful, inviting place for the homeless cats! This is a great way to get potential adopters. I have met the founder and she
has worked hard for years to save many cats/kittsns and now this has got to be a dream come true for her and the kitties. I love the idea
of separate “living rooms” and no ugly cages; these cats are not in prison (like in some shelters), instead, they are enjoying their temporary home until they get adopted into a loving forever home of
there own.

hi everyone! thanks for the kind words about this space! i am the artist who donated my time and talents to create the murals in the 5 living rooms and also some cat-friendly artwork. i also donate gift certificates for people to win to have portraits painted of their catswhen adopted! for more info and examples of my work, visit http://www.klzart.com
thanks again! and go visit/donate soon!

Haven’t had a chance to visit this new shelter, but plan to go because I’m hearing/seeing good reviews. Only question I have: Is there an enclosed, outdoor location so the cats can enjoy the sun and the sky, as they do at Cat Welfare?

This is awesome! Everyone who contributed to this wonderful place for our feline friends will get a blessing from Heaven for providing such a wonderful place for kitties who has been displaced in our society while they wait for a forever home!

I will be up to visit and will spread the word to everyone I know to contribute to your wonderful facility. Thank God for people like you! You have taken a litter I found in a garage and one I found at a Mcdonald’s retaurant recently so I owe you and will contribute soon. I will try and give my time also as soon as I finish evening classes in January.

Mommy & Daddy went to Colony Cats last night and said it was a really great place. I hear rumors that they are looking to find me a new brother. I still miss my old brother, but a new friend who is not a dog might be nice.